diff --git a/docker/utils/fnmatch.py b/docker/utils/fnmatch.py
index e95b63ce..e51bd815 100644
--- a/docker/utils/fnmatch.py
+++ b/docker/utils/fnmatch.py
@@ -65,19 +65,32 @@ def translate(pat):
 
     There is no way to quote meta-characters.
     """
-    recursive_mode = False
     i, n = 0, len(pat)
-    res = ''
+    res = '^'
     while i < n:
         c = pat[i]
         i = i + 1
         if c == '*':
             if i < n and pat[i] == '*':
-                recursive_mode = True
+                # is some flavor of "**"
                 i = i + 1
-            res = res + '.*'
+                # Treat **/ as ** so eat the "/"
+                if pat[i] == '/':
+                    i = i + 1
+                if i >= n:
+                    # is "**EOF" - to align with .gitignore just accept all
+                    res = res + '.*'
+                else:
+                    # is "**"
+                    # Note that this allows for any # of /'s (even 0) because
+                    # the .* will eat everything, even /'s
+                    res = res + '(.*/)?'
+            else:
+                # is "*" so map it to anything but "/"
+                res = res + '[^/]*'
         elif c == '?':
-            res = res + '.'
+            # "?" is any char except "/"
+            res = res + '[^/]'
         elif c == '[':
             j = i
             if j < n and pat[j] == '!':
@@ -96,8 +109,6 @@ def translate(pat):
                 elif stuff[0] == '^':
                     stuff = '\\' + stuff
                 res = '%s[%s]' % (res, stuff)
-        elif recursive_mode and c == '/':
-            res = res + re.escape(c) + '?'
         else:
             res = res + re.escape(c)
-    return res + '\Z(?ms)'
+    return res + '$'
diff --git a/tests/unit/utils_test.py b/tests/unit/utils_test.py
index a2d463d7..7045d23c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/utils_test.py
+++ b/tests/unit/utils_test.py
@@ -639,6 +639,14 @@ class ExcludePathsTest(unittest.TestCase):
         'foo',
         'foo/bar',
         'bar',
+        'target',
+        'target/subdir',
+        'subdir',
+        'subdir/target',
+        'subdir/target/subdir',
+        'subdir/subdir2',
+        'subdir/subdir2/target',
+        'subdir/subdir2/target/subdir'
     ]
 
     files = [
@@ -654,6 +662,14 @@ class ExcludePathsTest(unittest.TestCase):
         'foo/bar/a.py',
         'bar/a.py',
         'foo/Dockerfile3',
+        'target/file.txt',
+        'target/subdir/file.txt',
+        'subdir/file.txt',
+        'subdir/target/file.txt',
+        'subdir/target/subdir/file.txt',
+        'subdir/subdir2/file.txt',
+        'subdir/subdir2/target/file.txt',
+        'subdir/subdir2/target/subdir/file.txt',
     ]
 
     all_paths = set(dirs + files)
@@ -844,6 +860,15 @@ class ExcludePathsTest(unittest.TestCase):
             self.all_paths - set(['foo/bar', 'foo/bar/a.py'])
         )
 
+    def test_single_and_double_wildcard(self):
+        assert self.exclude(['**/target/*/*']) == convert_paths(
+            self.all_paths - set(
+                ['target/subdir/file.txt',
+                 'subdir/target/subdir/file.txt',
+                 'subdir/subdir2/target/subdir/file.txt']
+            )
+        )
+
 
 class TarTest(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_tar_with_excludes(self):